On Tuesday, as the Bihar election campaign heated up, with belligerent rhetoric on the rise from all sides, BJP national president J.P. Nadda fired the first salvo of a consistent political theme from his party. He dubbed the opposition alliance as "anti-national", and said that its leaders were praising Pakistan when an election is under way in India. Nadda said since the main opposition party had nothing worth talking about the achievements of its past governments, it was busy extolling Pakistan. "So what do they do? Just this—when the election is on in Bihar, talk about Pakistan. What has Bihar election got to do with Pakistan? But Congress leaders are praising Pakistan. And who is leading them in this praise? Rahul Gandhi," Nadda told an election rally.
Nadda followed up with the allegation the next day, and other top BJP leaders piled on—Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath dubbed the opposition grand alliance as a "revival of Naxalism".
Nadda charged the rival party with helping Pakistan by its opposition to moves like abrogation of Article 370 and demanding its restoration. Addressing election rallies in adjoining West Champaran and East Champaran districts of Bihar, Nadda also lambasted the Congress for forging an alliance in the state with ultra-Left CPI(ML) which he called "divisive" and a part of the "tukde-tukde gang". Nadda highlighted the apprehensions expressed before the Supreme Court by Kapil Sibal, a senior Congress leader and former Union minister who was the counsel for one of the parties in Ayodhya title suit, "that if the case got decided, it may favour the BJP electorally".
"Such antics notwithstanding, the people voted for BJP in the Lok Sabha and the court gave a unanimous verdict in favour of a temple. Armed with the huge mandate you gave him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also did away with Article 370", he said.
The BJP president alleged that Pakistan challenged the move before the UN Security Council, "basing its arguments on statements given by Rahul Gandhi". He also attacked former home minister P. Chidambaram for speaking in favour of restoration of the special status formerly enjoyed by Kashmir and questioned the "patriotism" of Gandhi and his party colleague Shashi Tharoor, both of whom he accused of "praising Pakistans handling of COVID-19".
Yogi on Naxalism
"The Congress-RJD combine's poll pact with ultra-Left CPI(ML) in Bihar is deplorable and unfortunate as it can lead to a resurgence of naxalism in the state which has reeled under Maoist violence for long," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a star campaigner for the BJP, said at a rally. He also lavished praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the resolve they showed in scrapping Article 370, facilitating construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, stamping down terrorism and offering help to persecuted minorities of other countries through the Citizenship Amendment Act. "All this is making the people of country happy. But Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is visibly frightened and, strangely, leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Owaisi too are perturbed. Try to understand their mindset and beware of such elements," he said.
The Jinnah spectre
Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh trained his guns at the Congress-RJD alliance, alleging a "sympathiser" of Mohammad Ali Jinnah has been fielded from Jale seat and sought to know whether both the parties support the ideology of Pakistan's founder. The Congress has given ticket to Maskoor Ahmad Usmani to contest Bihar polls from Jale assembly segment in Darbhanga district.
Referring to news reports that Jinnah's portrait was found in the office of Aligarh Muslim University Students' Union when Usmani was president of the body, Singh said, "The Congress has given the ticket to a supporter of Jinnah who divided India into two. Now, leaders of grand alliance will have to answer to the people of the country whether they also support the ideology of Pakistan's founder," he said. Leaders of RJD, who are dreaming to rule the state, will have to speak on this issue, Singh said without naming Tejashwi Yadav. The Union minister also alleged that Bihar had become the headquarters of SIMI during when RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was the chief minister.
-Inputs from agencies
